Method and apparatus for transferring food material strips onto a support web

Abstract

An apparatus for transferring individual strips of material which are sliced from a material supply to a support web includes two counterrotating rollers. The first roller is disposed proximate to a slicing station and material supply while the second roller is disposed proximate to the first roller. Both of the first and second rollers have hollow inner cores which are encircled by rotatable outer shells. A vacuum is drawn in the inner cores of the first and second rollers which causes individual material strips to adhere to the outer shell of the first roller and the support web to the outer shell of the second roller. Bands which encircle the first roller urge the material strips off onto the support web.

I claim: 
     
       1. An apparatus for transferring strips of material severed from a food material supply to a support web, comprising: first rotating means disposed proximate to the material supply, the first rotating means having an outer surface with at least one discrete material strip receiving portion thereon adapted to receive successive material strips severed from the material supply, said first rotating means having first pneumatic means for applying negative air pressure to said at least one discrete material strip receiving portion, second rotating means operatively associated with said first rotating means, the second rotating means being adapted to receive a continuous support web on an outer surface thereof, said second rotating means further being adapted to convey the continuous support web to a location proximate to said first rotating means, said second rotating means rotating in synchronization with said first rotating means, said second rotating means including second pneumatic means for applying negative air pressure to a portion of the second rotating means outer surface to draw said continuous support web over said second rotating means outer surface, said first rotating means further including means for urging successive material strips off of said first rotating means outer surface and onto said continuous support web. 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first pneumatic means includes a plurality of air apertures extending through said first rotating means, the air apertures leading from the interior of said first rotating means to said at least one discrete material strip receiving portions of said first rotating means. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first rotating means includes a plurality of discrete material strip receiving portions. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first rotating means includes four discrete material strip receiving portions. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first rotating means includes means for selectively stopping the flow of said negative air pressure to said first rotating means outer surface at least one discrete material strip receiving portion. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the material strip urging means includes third pneumatic means for applying positive air pressure to said first rotating means outer surface at least one discrete portion. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said material strip urging means includes band means encircling said first rotating means, a portion of said band means engaging said successive material strips at said first rotating means outer surface at least one discrete material receiving portion. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said material strip urging means includes band means encircling said first rotating means, a portion of the band means engaging said successive material strips at said first rotating means outer surface at least one discrete material receiving portion. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first rotating means includes a stationary inner core having a preselected opening in an outer shell which is rotatable around the inner core, the first pneumatic means applying said negative air pressure to the interior of said inner core, said inner core having an opening in contact with the rotatable outer shell. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said second rotating means includes a stationary inner member having an opening operatively associated with a rotatable outer shell thereof, the second rotating means outer shell having a plurality of air apertures extending therethrough, said second pneumatic means applying negative air pressure to the interior of the inner member and to said second rotating means outer shell plurality of air apertures by way of said opening. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first rotating means includes a stationary inner core having a preselected opening operatively associated with a rotatable outer shell thereof, the first rotating means outer shell having a plurality of first air apertures extending therethrough, said first pneumatic means applying negative air pressure to the interior of the inner core and to said first rotating means outer shell by way of said opening, and said second rotating means includes a stationary inner member having an opening operatively associated with a rotatable outer shell thereof, the second rotating means outer shell having a plurality of second air apertures extending therethrough, said second pneumatic means applying negative air pressure to the interior of the inner member and to said second rotating means outer shell air apertures by way of said opening. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first and second rotating means are driven in synchronization with a means for severing succesive material strips from said food material supply whereby said at least one discrete material strip receiving portion of said first rotating means outer surface is proximate to said food material supply. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second rotating means includes means for engaging said continuous support web. 
     
     
       14. A machine for slicing strips of food material and transferring the strips of material onto a support web into a format suitable for packaging comprising, in combination: means for supplying a supply unit of a food material to a slicing station, the slicing station including means for slicing individual strips from the food material supply unit,   means for transferring the individual strips from the slicing station and placing said individual strips onto a support web,   means for severing a predetermined length of the support web after said individual strips have been placed thereon,   means for assembling successive lengths of said support web into a form suitable for packaging,   the transferring and placement means including two elongated cylindrical rollers operatively associated with each other and operatively associated with said slicing station, the first roller having a discrete portion defined on an outer surface thereof and adapted to receive an individual material strip after the slicing thereof from said food material supply unit,   said first roller having first pneumatic means for adhering said individual material strip to said first roller discrete portion, said first roller also having means for urging said individual material strip off of said first roller discrete portion and onto said support web,   the second roller being disposed proximate to said first roller, said second roller including means for engaging said support web and second pneumatic means for drawing said support web over an outer surface of said second roller.   
     
     
       15. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said first and second rollers are driven in synchronization with each other. 
     
     
       16. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said first and second rollers are driven in synchronization with said slicing station, whereby said first roller outer surface discrete portion is positioned proximate to said material unit when an individual material strip is s iced from said material unit. 
     
     
       17. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said first and scond rollers include means for respectively blocking said first and second pneumatic means. 
     
     
       18. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said first roller has four material strip receiving discrete portions disposed on the outer surface thereof, each of the four discrete portions including a first air passage leading from said first roller outer surface to said first roller first pneumatic means, and said second roller including an air passage leading from said second roller outer surface to said second roller second pneumatic means. 
     
     
       19. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said first roller slice urging means includes third pneumatic means for supplying positive air pressure to said first roller discrete portion. 
     
     
       20. The packaging machine of claim 19, wherein said first roller slice urging means further includes band means encircling said first roller, the band means engaging said first roller proximate to said third pneumatic means. 
     
     
       21. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said second roller second pneumatic means includes at least one air passage disposed in the outer surface of said second roller. 
     
     
       22. The packing machine of claim 19, wherein said belt means includes at least one belt encircling said first roller and engaging a circumferential groove of said first roller. 
     
     
       23. The packing machine of claim 14, wherein said means for assembling successive lengths of said support web includes means for transversely folding said support web upon itself along discrete, spaced apart transverse fold lines, each of the transverse fold lines being associated with an individual material strip. 
     
     
       24. In an apparatus for transferring successive material strips cut from a food material supply to a substrate web, the improvement comprising: first rotating means, second rotating means, the first rotating means having a generally cylindrical outer surface, the first rotating means having first pneumatic means for engaging a material strip and holding the material strip on the first rotating means outer surface, the second rotating means having a generally cylindrical outer surface and having second pneumatic means for holding a continuous substrate web to the second rotating means outer surface, the first rotating means further including means for urging said material strip off of said first rotating means outer surface and onto said continuous substrate web. 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for urging said material strip off of said first rotating means includes third pneumatic means for selectively applying positive pressure to said first rotating means outer surface. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means for urging said material strips off of said first rotating means includes band means operatively intersecting the first rotating means outer surface. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said means for urging said material strips off of said first rotating means further includes band means engaging said first rotating means, the band means operatively intersecting said first rotating means outer surface. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said first rotating means includes a rotating drum having a plurality of discrete material strip engaging areas on its outer surface, and said first pneumatic means includes at least one air passage operatively associated with each of said discrete material strip engaging areas, said first pneumatic means further including means for drawing a vacuum through the rotating drum at least one air passage. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said rotating drum includes four discrete material strip engaging areas and means for blocking the vacuum drawn through said rotating drum air passages. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said second rotating means includes a rotating drum, the second rotating means rotating drum having a plurality of air passages extending therethrough, said second pneumatic means further including means for drawing a vacuum through said second rotating means rotating drum air passages. 
     
     
       31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the outer surfaces of said first and second rotating mean operatively intersect. 
     
     
       32. An apparatus for receiving slices of a meat product and applying it onto an elongated substrate, comprising: a first roller having an elongated, generally cylindrical outer surface with a plurality of discrete meat slice receiving surfaces thereon, the first roller having first means for pneumatically adhering individual, successive meat product slices to the first roller outer surface, said first roller further having belt means for engaging individual, successive meat slices adhered to said first roller outer surface and urging said individual, successive meat slices off of said first roller outer surface and applying said individual, successive meat slices onto an elongated substrate conveyed to an application location proximate and adjacent said first roller by a second roller having an elongated, generally cylindrical outer surface with a plurality of air apertures therein, the second roller having second means for pneumatically adhering said elongated substrate to the outer surface thereof. 
     
     
       33. The meat product application apparatus of claim 32, wherein said meat slice urging means includes third means for pneumatically removing said individual, successive meat slices from said first roller outer surface. 
     
     
       34. A machine for transferring material strips sliced from a food material supply to a support web to form a support web-material strip assembly and forming the support web-material strip assembly into a format suitable for packaging, comprising, in combination: means for supplying a supply unit of a food material to a slicing station,   a slicing station including means for slicing successive individual strips from the food material supply unit,   means for transferring the successive individual material strips from the slicing station and placing the individual material strips onto a length of support web, the transfer and placement means including two elongated rollers operatively associated with each other, the first roller having at least one discrete portion defined on an outer surface thereof and adapted to receive an individual material strip thereon after slicing from said material supply unit, said first roller having first pneumatic means for adhering the individual material strip to said first roller at least one discrete portion, the second roller being disposed proximate to said first roller, said second roller having second pneumatic means for adhering a support web over an outer surface of said second roller, said first roller also including means for urging said individual successive material strips off of said first roller at least one discrete portion and onto the support web in a predetermined spacing and in alignment with a potential line of folding associated therewith,   means for supplying a length of said support web to said second roller, and   means for folding said support web along each of the support web potential lines of folding such that said support web is folded between successive individual material strips.   
     
     
       35. The machine of claim 34, wherein said first and second rollers include means for blocking said respective first and second pneumatic means. 
     
     
       36. The machine of claim 34, wherein said first and second rollers are driven in synchronization with each other. 
     
     
       37. The machine of claim 14, wherein said first and second rollers are driven in synchronization with said slicing station, whereby said first roller at least one discrete portion is positioned proximate to said material unit when an individual material strip is sliced from said material supply unit. 
     
     
       38. The machine of claim 14, wherein said first roller has four material strip receiving discrete portions disposed on the outer surface thereof, each of the four discrete portions including a first air passage leading from said first roller outer surface to said first roller first pneumatic means, and said second roller including an air passage leading from said second roller outer surface to said second roller second pneumatic means. 
     
     
       39. The machine of claim 34, wherein said support web is a continuous length of support web. 
     
     
       40. The machine of claim 34, wherein said second roller includes means or engaging said support web. 
     
     
       41. The machine of claim 34, further including means for urging said individual successive material strips off of said first roller at said at least one discrete portion and onto said support web. 
     
     
       42. A method of transferring material strips from a food material supply to a substrate web, comprising the steps of: feeding a supply of a food material to a material cutting location;   providing a first roller adjacent to the material cutting location, the first roller having a food material strip engaging portion;   providing a second roller adjacent to said first roller;   feeding a substrate web over the second roller and drawing a vacuum at one area of said second roller to adhere the substrate web to a portion of said second roller;   engaging a food material strip with the first roller after the food material strip is cut from the food material supply by drawing a vacuum at said first roller material strip engaging portion;   rotating said first roller to transfer said food material strip from said food material supply to a material transfer location, and rotating the second roller to advance said substrate web to the material transfer location; and   urging said food material strip off of said first roller and onto said substrate web of said second roller.   
     
     
       43. The method of transferring strips according to claim 42, further including the step of releasing the vacuum drawn at said first roller material strip engaging portion after said first roller is rotated to said material transfer location and before said material strip is urged off of said first roller. 
     
     
       44. The method according to claim 42, further including the steps of: releasing said vacuum drawn at said first roller material strip engaging portion after said first roller is rotated to said material transfer location and before said material strip is urged off of said first roller; and   releasing the vacuum drawn at said second roller one area of the said material strip is urged off of said first roller and onto said substrate web.   
     
     
       45. The method of claim 42 including the step of applying positive air pressure to said material strip to urge said material strip off of said first roller. 
     
     
       46. The method of claim 44, wherein said material strip is urged off of said first roller by at least one belt encircling said first roller in a circumferential groove. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 42, wherein the step of urging said material strip off of said first roller includes the steps of: applying air pressure to said material strip at said material strip transfer location and engaging said material strip at said material strip transfer locations of a band encircling said first roller in a circumferential groove. 
     
     
       48. The method of claim 42, further including the steps of urging said material strip off of said first roller onto said substrate web proximate to a transverse fold line of said substrate and folding said substrate web upon itself along the transverse fold line. 
     
     
       49. The method of claim 42, wherein said material strip is a strip of bacon. 
     
     
       50. A method of transferring strips of food material, comprising: the steps of rotating a first roller so that the first roller engages, on an outer surface thereof, an individual food material strip by way of applying a vacuum through said first roller to the individual food material strip, passing a substrate web over a second roller to a location proximate to said first roller, adhering the substrate web to an outer surface of said second roller by applying a vacuum through said second roller to said substrate web, rotating the first roller so that said individual food material strip is closely adjacent said second roller substrate web and urging said individual food material strip off of said first roller and onto said substrate web by applying positive air pressure through said first roller to said individual food material strip.